Morocco is my favorite country at Epcot's world showcase. The Kingdom of Morocco insisted on sponsoring and doing construction on the pavilion, rather than relying on corporate sponsors. It brings an authenticity and humbleness that outshines some of the more traditionally popular countries.
If you're interested in seeing more photographs from Epcot's Morocco, check out my Morocco gallery.
This photograph was captured with a Sony NEX-7.
There's nothing like spending a few hours eating and wandering around Shem Creek. It's always lively and you're nearly guaranteed to see dolphin (or are they porpoises?). If you're looking to do some stand up paddleboarding in the lowcountry, check out the rental places a little deeper into Shem Creek. There's a nice little barrier island that gives you a destination and it keeps the harbor relatively calm. If you're lucky, you just might be paddling alongside a family of dolphin, too!
This photograph was captured with a DJI Phantom 3 Professional drone.
If you've ever been to Chapel Hill, this post needs no explanation.
If you haven't, I'll explain. He's Not Here is an institution. Whenever a UNC basketball star announced that he'd be leaving Chapel Hill for the NBA, he would be seen at He's Not with none other than Michael Jordan the night before the announcement. Michael was always called in to have a heart-to-heart with the player before the big decision. Rumor had it that his advice was always that if they did leave, they needed to take classes during the summer until they earned their degree.
Either way, if you saw your favorite UNC player at He's Not with Michael Jordan, it was bad news for the Tar Heels... but you got over it quickly because you were drinking cheap beers out of these enormous Solo cups. "Back in our day" they were simply giant blue cups... and were called "Blue Cups"... at some point the Solo company stopped making them in blue and there was an awkward period where "Blue Cups" were actually "White Cups." It didn't take long for these next-generation screen-printed cups to show up. They're a little too fancy for He's Not Here but I don't see anybody complaining.
This photograph was captured with a Sony a6300.
When it comes to overlanding, there simply isn't an obstacle the Camel Trophy team can't overcome. Case in point, this improvised bridge, capable of carrying a column of Land Rovers across a gully at Overland Expo East.
If you're a fan of the over-the-top Top Gear specials, you have these guys to thank... they were building impromptu bridges over rivers long before people tuned in to watch such feats on the television.
This photograph was captured with a Sony a6300.
Not all wizards get their wands from Ollivanders... You can also find your wand — or rather, it can find you — down this side street in Diagon Alley.
This photograph was captured with a Sony NEX-7.
The juvenile black rat snake is born not black but white and brown with a camouflage pattern designed to protect it from predators before it grows up and changes colors. This rat snake lives at the Charlotte Nature Museum in a really nice habitat that looks like it's right out of an Indiana Jones movie.
This photograph was captured with a Sony a6300.
The Citroën design center on Paris' Champs-Élysées lives up to its name! One of my favorite things about European cities is the architectural juxtaposition between old and new and the way they are often tightly integrated.
This photograph was captured with a Nikon D90.
It's officially ski season! This photograph is a throw-back from a few years ago on Diamond Peak in Lake Tahoe. The season was off to a slow start so we nearly had the entire mountain to ourselves. It was tremendous! If you are a regular visitor to Lake Tahoe and haven't ever ridden Diamond Peak, you've got to check it out. It's a small, locals-only resort. However, what it lacks in fanfare, it lacks in fanfare... and that's exactly what makes it great!
Living on the East Coast and looking for a ski getaway? Check out Slopeside on Beech Mountain!
This farm on top of Beech Mountain isn't just any farm — it's Dorothy's farm from the Wizard of Oz-themed amusement park, Land of Oz. At more than a mile in elevation and perched atop a mountain, it just might be the most picturesque setting for any amusement park in the world.
This photograph was captured with a DJI Phantom 3 Professional drone.
Where would you rather be on Black Friday? Standing in line at Best Buy or hiking along this trout stream on Beech Mountain? Click here to learn more about the #OptOutside movement, started by REI... or just turn off your computer/phone/tablet and head out for a nice walk.
This photograph was captured with a Sony a6300.